1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of wireless communication. More particularly the present invention relates to the field of communicating packet data units over a Gb interface in a wireless network environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) Radio Access Network (GERAN) is a type of a wireless network that supports legacy devices as well as Machine-Type Communication (MTC) devices to communicate Packet Switched (PS) data with a core network or a MTC server via a base station. Typically, in GERAN, a base station communicates the PS data with the core network via a Gb interface and vice versa. In other words, peer-to-peer communication between the base station and the core network is performed using a Gb interface. Basically, the peer-to-peer communication across the Gb interface is performed over virtual connections established between remote entities of the base station and the core network.
Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication (also referred to as “Machine-Type Communication” or “MTC”) is a form of data communication between devices that do not necessarily need human interaction (commonly known as MTC devices) unlike legacy devices. For example, in an M2M communication, a MTC device (such as a sensor or smart-meter) may capture an event data which is then relayed through a base station to an application residing in a MTC server for analysis and necessary action. M2M communication may be used in a variety of areas such as smart metering systems (e.g., in applications related to power, gas, water, heating, grid control, and industrial metering), surveillance systems, order management, gaming machines, and health care communication. Additionally, M2M communication based on MTC technology may be used in areas such as customer service.
Typically in GERAN, each base station communicates the PS data received from the legacy devices and the MTC devices with the core network over the Gb interface in a Logical Link Control (LLC) data packet. For example, a Packet Data Unit (PDU) received from a MTC device may contain small burst of PS data (e.g., 20 bytes). On the other hand, a PDU received from a legacy device may contain a large burst of PS data (e.g., up to 1560 bytes). The base station establishes separate sessions across the Gb interface and transmits the LLC data packet containing the PDU over the separate sessions. However, there may be a large number of MTC devices communicating small sized PDUs (in the range of 20 bytes) to the base station at a given instance, whereby each of the small sized PDUs is communicated across the Gb interface using a separate session. This may result in inefficient utilization of capacity of the Gb interface.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention.